Omaha daily bee., 1887-12-06
SHANG ANDREWS IS NO MORE.
Inglorious Wind Up of q Gifted
Newspaper Man.
HIS CAREER WHILE IN OMAHA.
Stories That Old settlers Tell of Him
While He Tarried Amcng Them
in the Early Days Of the
City-Rcmin
Resting I'm His Grave.

the Republican and Herald. He was man
OF more than ordinary ability, "rustler'
and genial. joval soul BY the aid of his
manifold peculiar gifts he found no difficulty
in working himself into public notoricty and
respect, and even to this day tho old timers
take special delight in rccting "Shang's" cs-
capades and greatness. "SShang' came west
of the Missouri early in 1870, and secured II
position on the local staff of the Republican.
The scribes on the opposition papers discov-
cred Il tartar in the new arrival, whose am
bition in life was to 'scoop" them on current
happenings, and in this he succeeded admir-
ably. Omaha was then in the wild and wool
ly west" and the opportunities for news of
a sensational character were numerous and of
these "Shang' made the most. He was right
at home in blood and thunder tales, and the
weeks that passed without giving him
an opportunity to display his ability in that
direction were few and far between. His
motto was get the news, no matter how"
and in the fullilment of this, "Shang"
stopped to unjournalistic methods. During
the celebration of the Humboldt centennial,
he was on the Republican, and through
broken promises made with the principal or
ators to furnish the Herald with copies of
their speeches, he secured all the manu-
scripts and kept them back till too late to be
of service to his esteemed contemporary. He
| is known to have played similar games to ap-
pcasc his hunger for Scoops" but for faults
| of this kind he atoned by his good fellow
ship, warm heartedness and liberality =.
Finally "Shangn transferred his allegiance
| from the Republican to the Herald, and there
| was weeping and gnashing of teeth in the
former office. Together with him on the
| Herald was Frank Thorne, another ''rustler''
| whom the old settlers will remember, and
| between them they made the Herald popular
| and the Republican green with envy. Both
how .,it,l
and many are the stories told of their wild
| revels together Thorne ended his career in
| Omaha in a bar-room fight where he re-
ceived ininries which proved fatal.
Early in 1871, after having been employed
on the Herald for some months, "Shang'
| went to Chicago, where he has just died after
leading a wretched and wicked life. Speak
of him, the Herald of that city says:
| BY the death of ''Shang" Andrews the
levee has lost the most picturesque charac-
| ter that iourished during its sinful days He
| entered upon life in the State street quarter
| when it was struggling into prominence Just
after the fire, and he was closely identified
! with 1t until its decadcnce began, four or five
| years ago. He began early to publish a pa
| per that was so thoroughly devoted to the
interests of the levee and it's frequenters
| that it became sort of an official organ,
| and was recognized as such by the FOUNDERS
| who patronized 1t. 1t was through this pa
per that "Shang" reached prominence. He
| welded an abusive and caustic pencil that
left its mark wherever it touched, and he
| did not hesitate to direct il against people
who crossed him. 1t was the sccptcr that
practically made him king Of the worst quar-
ter and the worst elements i'll the city until
Mayor Harrison interdicted him, his paper,
and the most of his subjects: The famous
May order of 1882, directed against the
women of the levee was the begin
ming of the end of Adrews' down.
fall. His paper, always indecent and
unfit for anybodys perusal except those for
| xphnGa 1plpntllinn H. nyIntnl
became so dsreputable that Mayor Harrison
ordered the police to suppress It. The order
was obeyed to the letter, but ''Shang' was in
no sense discouraged He procured another
State street near Polk, and got out his paper
again two weeks afterward. Then followed
another police raid, and the destruction of
type and machinery Sc. second l. time After After
that he could bring out his paper only at rare
intervals. He brought it out, however,
though he was arrested every time he did so,
until his funds gave out, and then the Street
Gazette became a thing of the past. There
never was anything like it in Chicago before,
and there never will be again. The only
thing that could at all compare to it was Il
publication in Detroit called Roses Nose,
name was Rose, but he was kept moving
along in those days, and never enjoyed
the harvest that ''Shang'' reaFed. With
the fall Of his paper "Shangh began to
| tredu unc downward pdtil. ne lOSu MS SrlI
on the classes he had ruled, advancing
! years and intirmities prevented him from
| working any more, and he sank INTO com
plete oblivion. Until his death was heraldcd
on the lcvee Wednesday night his name had
; not been mentioned except by way of remin
isconse for nearly two years, so completely
had he been forgotten, bvt the news caused
| general and genuine regret. Old-tmers
like Mic Ries. Billy Bassett, Jim Lomax ant
jim Appleton, who had known "Shang" ir
his weather. days, when money was found
, | not earned, set on foot inquiries about the
| financial condition of his family, and wheI
they found that it was bad they started sub
| ScriptiOn paper which was so industriously
circulated that several hundred dollars
was raised before midnight Wednesday.
r There are plenty Of old timers who remcm
! Der "Shang" Andrews when he was re
= porter for the Times under Wilbur f. Storey
A thorough Bohemian, of convivial and gen
erous instincts, a bright writer and a splen
did news gatherer, he was one Of the mos
popular newspaper men in the city. His low
| for drink and vicious associates, however
dragged HIM down so low that he was forced
to abandon legitimate newspaper work ant
e exc out an existence through the paper th
| police suppressed.
There was one incident of "Shang's" con
nected with the Times that serves to illus
trate his capacity and versatility. Tho pape
had been running to tue sensational, ant
g practically ignored the religious field; s
n much so, III fact, that it had become matte
to retrieve in the religious field, and h
+ chose national convention of ministers tina
r met here in 1865 to carry his determinatio
into effect. "Shang'' Andrews was assignc
| to ''don the convention, and his orders wer
TO ''runr is as fully as he could, "Shang'' di
splendid work. His reports were marvels TO
accuracy and for the space they occupied
c | One day while the convention was in progress
"Shangn took run up to Lake View on
Clark street car to get " little fresh air, whic
long confinement in the convention hall ha
made necessary for him. When he got to LAX
View he met policeman of that town
whom he confded his identity, and he wa
not little astonshed to find himself u pris
oner charged with disorderly conduct. Tn
Times had been roasting the town govern
ment, its police and other officials and its rt
porters were not in favor there "Shang
was dragged before justice of the peace
l. who fined him SO, or just Sl5 more than h
had with him, and then threatened to sen
him to the Bridewell unless he paid u
promptly. "Shank' appealed to the officer
"A to bring him to Chicago so he could get tn
- money from his friends, but they were dea
ia to his entreaties until he otfere
to pay SO for the service, and then bi
constable volunteered to go with him. Th
two went to Tom Foley's old billiard room
on Dearborn street, and Tom paid the fine d
.'.es,. f.nt